I Am Not an Animal - Symbolism & Philosophy
Symbols & Motifs
Human Clothing
The specially designed clothes the animals wear symbolize their artificial, imposed humanity and their detachment from their true nature. The awkward fit of the clothes, particularly Philip the horse's trousers, serves as a constant visual gag that underscores the absurdity of their situation.
From the first episode, the animals are seen in their bespoke outfits. When they are 'liberated', their attempts to maintain their wardrobe in the harsh real world highlight their struggle to cling to their civilized identities. In the final episode, being forced to strip by an activist represents a forced return to their 'natural' state, an idea they resist.
Vivi-Sec UK Laboratory
The laboratory represents a sterile, controlled, and deceptive form of paradise. It is a place of immense comfort and intellectual stimulation, but it is built on a foundation of cruel experiments and imprisonment. It symbolizes a gilded cage and the idea that comfort and safety can come at the cost of truth and true freedom.
The series begins inside the lab, establishing it as the animals' entire world. Their eventual, voluntary attempt to return to the lab in the final episode, only to find they've been replaced, is a pivotal moment. It shows their deep-seated desire to return to the only home they've ever known, even if it was a prison.
Philosophical Questions
What is the true meaning of 'civilization'?
The series constantly questions whether the animals' intelligence and sophisticated tastes truly make them civilized. They can discuss philosophy and appreciate fine art, yet they are incapable of basic survival and hold prejudiced, simplistic views of the world. By contrasting their refined but useless knowledge with the practical, often messy, reality of human society, the show asks whether civilization is defined by cultural refinement or by the ability to adapt, empathize, and function within a community.
Can an identity be manufactured?
The animals' entire sense of self is a construct, implanted by the scientists at Vivi-Sec UK. They were not born to be pseudo-intellectual, wine-sipping connoisseurs; they were made into them. The series explores the fragility of this manufactured identity when it confronts the real world and their own innate animal instincts. Their ultimate failure to reconcile their nurtured selves with their nature suggests that a truly authentic identity cannot be wholly imposed from the outside and must be able to withstand the pressures of reality.
Core Meaning
The core meaning of I Am Not an Animal is a satirical critique of human arrogance, class pretension, and the absurdities of modern society. The series uses the 'fish-out-of-water' premise to expose the foolishness of the animals' cultivated, upper-class sensibilities, which prove useless in the real world. It simultaneously satirizes both the cold, corporate nature of scientific research and the misguided zeal of animal rights activism.
Ultimately, the show explores themes of identity and belonging. The animals are caught between a human world they can't fully join and an animal kingdom they no longer understand. Their journey is a tragicomic search for a place to call home, questioning what it means to be 'civilized' and whether their manufactured intelligence is a gift or a curse.